


Pluie

by lordjohnmarbury



Category: Parks and Recreation, The West Wing
Genre: Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-11
Updated: 2016-02-11
Packaged: 2018-05-19 18:04:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5976211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lordjohnmarbury/pseuds/lordjohnmarbury
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ron Swanson loses both Pluie the wolf and his faith in government.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pluie

**Author's Note:**

> This may not make much sense if you haven't seen the West Wing episode The Crackpots and These Women (1x5), in which Nick Offerman plays a role.

Ron Swanson had always liked wolves. He admired all carnivores, but wolves in particular felt special to him. Perhaps it was because he thought of himself as a lone wolf; he was fond of his colleagues at Yellowstone National Park, but was happiest when fishing, hunting or canoeing in solitude, soaking up the magnificence of the mountains he called home. While he loved all parts of his government job, tracking the migration pattern of the wolves from Yellowstone up to The Yukon was the most rewarding task of all. That was, of course, until Pluie was killed. Ron was used to some of the wolves not being able to make the journey up to Canada- survival of the fittest was a fact of nature. But to be shot by a rancher… that made him mad. Pluie was strong and healthy: if it hadn’t been for human interference, she would have surely completed her trek up the Rockies by now, maybe even have had cubs and started her return journey. Ron channelled his anger and upset the only way he knew how. He redoubled his dedication to his government work, with a vow that he would find a way for the wolves to make the journey unimpeded, no matter what it cost. 

**  
Ron involuntarily let out an excited giggle as he put the phone down. He wasn’t quite sure how they’d manage to do it, but he and the rest of the Wolves Only Roadway team had managed to persuade CJ Cregg at the White House to commit $800 million to the roadway. It was slightly less than the $900 million they’d hoped for, but with a few adjustments it should be enough to fund the project. He was doing it. Pluie would not have died in vain. The lives of hundreds, maybe even thousands, magnificent creatures would be saved. 

**  
_It is estimated that 300 Albertan brown bears have lost their homes… the habitat of around 20% of the United States’ bald eagle population has been destroyed in favor of concrete and tarmac… Alaskan salmon are in crisis as silt from the roadway has travelled downstream… catastrophe for fishermen and hunters alike…_

The environmental impact report shook in Ron’s hands. He could barely take in the words that he was reading. The Wolves Only Roadway had cost more than anticipated: $1.1 billion. Ron hadn’t been too concerned about the burden on the taxpayer- surely the lives of wolves like Pluie couldn’t have a price put on them, he reasoned. But, just as CJ had predicted, the wolves hadn’t followed the roadway. Building the road had not just thrown over a billion dollars down the drain, it had also caused immeasurable damage to the ecosystems home to countless other animals. He’d paved himself an 1800-mile long road to hell.

**

Ron resigned from the Wolves Only Roadway team that day, and took the first job offer he received: Director of the Parks and Recreation department in Pawnee, Indiana. It was a big step down in pay and prestige, but he felt that he deserved it. Besides, he’d made a final promise to Pluie, and this time he was determined to keep it. Well, two final promises. As Ron left his Wyoming office, he gazed at the framed poster of Pluie hanging from the wall above the desk. He vowed never to be involved in a wasteful government scheme again. And, blinking back the tears that were welling in his eyes, he vowed never to let anyone get close to him again. The pain of losing Pluie was enough for one lifetime.


End file.
